ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. track — a path
  5. toast — bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com